Locking device for collapsible containers



A. L. WARE.

LOCKING DEVICE F98 CDLLAPSiBLE CONTAiNERS.

APPLICATION HLEVD AUG.5, T918.

htamfi June "I, 1921..

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR 4 J 2%% ATTORNEY A. L. WARD.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS. APPLICATION FILED was. 1918.1

1,380,875. Fatmteflhne 'Z, 1921.

47 INVENTOR warren stares rarest orricsm ALEXANDER L. FAB/D, GE NEW YORK, N; Y.

LQCKING DEVICE FOR C0 LLersisLE ooairenvnss.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patg ted June 1921,

Application filer August 5, 1918. Serial No. 248,312;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER 1a. WARD, a c tizen of the Jnited States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented 061118111 new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Collapsible Containers, of which the -following is a specification.

My invention relates to locking or securdevices for fastening the covers ofknoclrdown packing and shipping boxes and the like, upon the upstanding sides, in which devices which are slidably extended from the body of the cover through the outer depending flanges of the cover and the vertical members which extend into the inverted U of the cover, preferably adjacent the corners and positions intermediate the covers, in which positions sealing wires may be errtended through holes in the cover and the locking devices. tion is to provide improved details of construction and combinations of parts in such devices. as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood. attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating certain embodiments of my invention. in the drawings, Figure 1 represents a partial top plan view of a container carrying end and intermediate locking devices, Figs. 2, 3 ands are sections taken on lines 2-- 3-8 and fr-4, respectively. of 1. Fi 5 is a partial top plan view of a differentform of container, carrying end and intermediate locking devices, Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged The object of my inven-v,

sections taken respectively on lines 66 and 77 of Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a partial front elevation, looking in the direction of the line 8- 8 in Fig. 5, Figs. 9 and 10 are sections taken respectively on lines 9 9 and10..1O of fig. 8,'and Fig. 11 is a bottomplan. view of the parts shown in Fig. 7. r r 1 Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 of the draw, urge; the cover section of the container is "formed or a horizontal body portion .1, and integral edge portions bent upwardly as'at' 2, thence outwardly-at 3 and downwardly at .4, the cover being formed of a sheet of metal, in this construction. At the bottom 01' the outer flange 4 the metal may be bent inwardly and then upwardly, at about the lower end of an angle-iron 3, which eX- tends all around the cover. The upper edges i of the sine sections 7 and the end sections 8 extend into the groove thus formed between thefianges 5 and l and the vertical leg of angle 6 on one side,-and the flange 2 of the cover on the other side, the side'and end sections preferably being formed as described in my said Patent No. 1,205,418, with vertical edge flanges, the edge flanges of the end sections resting against the innersurfaces of the side sections, adjacent the cornets. and the vertical edge flanges of the side sections resting against the outer surfaces'of the end ections, adjacent the'corners.

Bolts 9, 9'are slida-blymounted on the top surface of the cover adjacent the corners,

and are adapted to be shotthrough alined openings int-he vertical flanges 2 and iof the fcover, the angle member reinforcement 6, and the interposed sidemembers and ver tical ed e flanges on. the end members to lock the partstogether. Each bolt 9 is parallel to; and slides in contact with, an inner vertical flange 2 of the cover, as shown iii-Fig.

Each bolt is held in position and guided ay a cover plate 10, which may be fastened "l/ 11, and bent'upwardly to extend over bolt'and intocontact with the vertical range 2, as shown. Each bolt 9 is preferably formed with an angular extension 12 at its inner end, to form an operating handle. and with an extension 13, parallel to 12, at-

one end to the cover section 1, as shown a point on the bolt forward of extension 12. The metal of the cover plate 10 is bent down, as shown at 14, at its side edge distant from the side member 7 of the container, in line with extensions 12 and 13 of the bolt, to form: al stoprto coact with extension 13.to prevent the bolt being entirely removed from its cover plate, extension 13 sliding in contact with the vertical l'lai'ige 150i the cover plate. Extension 13 also abuts against the adjacent flange 2 at the side of the cover, whenthebolt is shot, to accurately position it in that position. i 9

When each bolt 9 is shot, one end of a sealing wire 16 may be passed down through an opening 17 in the top flange and the horizontal leg "of angle 6, and the other end of the wire is passed down through an opening 18 in the top flange 3 and angle 6, adjacent to o iening 17. This end of the wire-passes through an opening'in bolt 9 which alines with opening 18 when the bolt is in locking positioinas shown, both ends of the wire passing down through the space between the vertical log of angle 6 and the sidesectioni of the box or container, and

being secured together by anappropriate seal. bolt 19 is preferably used at one or more points intermediate the ends of the box, at each side thereof, to holdthe cover firmly down on the side members 7, these bolts being, of course, more necessary as the length ofthe box increases. Bolts 19 may be, and nfeferably are, flat pieces of metalwhich slide into position over thetop surface of the body l of the cover member of the box, and through alining openings in flange 2, side member 7, the vertical leg of angle 6 and the outer flange at of the cover. Eachbolt- 19 may be formed with an enlarged inner end 29 which is adapted to abutagainSt the flange 2 when the bolt is shot, head 20 being preiterably formed wlth a groove 21 in its edge, so that the same may be readily grasped between a thumb and forefinger. j A" sealing wire may be passed through opening 17" in top flange 3 and the topflange'of angle 6, and through opening 18." in top flange 3, angleb, and bolt 19, and

theends-sealed, in the same manner as do" scribed above in connection with-bolts 9.

Referring now to Figs. 5 to 11 of the drawings, "improvedfastening devices are shown for a box of the character described incmy'application Patent Number 1,273,430, referred to, in whlch the horror container 1s formed of sections of composition board, or

the like, withfiangesrequired for holding a same, something like an inverted U, by seedge, and extend upwardly, as at 28, alongside the edge, then horizontally outwardly, as at 29, m contact with the under side of 'iange 24, and then downwardly, as at 30,

. between flanges 25 and 26, flanges 25, 30

and 26 being pressed together. The side member of the container, such as 31, may

also be formed ofcomposition board, with vertical, side flanges '31 formed of metal strips secured to the outer faces of the members adjacent their vertical edges and bent inwardly past said edges. The end sections (not shown) may be formed in the same way as the side sections, but with their metallic vertical side flanges 31 secured to the inner faces of the. composition board. The'container is'set up with the end sections inside theside sections, as in the form of my device described above ,in connection with igs. 1 to i. The upperedges ofthe side and end sections are adapted, when set up, to extend into the spaces between flanges 26 and 30 of the cover on one side, and flange 28, on the other, as shown in Fig. 9. The construction described is set forth in detail in my application Serial No. 168,542

referred to, but it is, of course, to be understood that the locking devlces to be described arenot limited strictly in their apdescribed,locking bolts areused at the ends ofthe sides, and at intermediate points on the sides, as in the case of the first form of my invention described. One of the end bolts, of WlllCll four may be used, is shown at 32 in Figs. 7 and 11; 'Each of these bolts is slidably mounted in a recess 33 in the 7 'composition board of the cover, between" the upper and lower metallic flan 'es 23 and rf' L I i b 2! ad acent toe edge ofthe cover, and between an end flange 28 and the vertical V edge of the recess in the board parallel to the end flange 28. The bolt may be of rectangular section, as shown in Fig. 6', or

other desired section, with a front portion offset downwardly from the body of the bolt, sufliciently to extend under the flange 28. c

VJhen the bolt is the container, as shown in Fig. 7, the portion 34: of the bolt extends through alined openings in the side member 31, the side flange 31 of theadja'cent end section, and the flanges 2-6, 30 and 25 of the cover, with the end of the body portion 32 of the bolt shot, and the cover is on iso contacting against the flange 28 of the cover as a stop. The bolt is preferably latched in forward and back positions by means of a leaf of spring metal 35 which may be secured to the under flange 27 of the cover, and is provided with an upwardly-curved bead 36. The latter is adapted. to coact with a notch 37 at the rear end of the bolt to hold the latter in shot position, and to spring into a notch 38 in the bottom surface of the bolt, to latch the latter in retracted position. The flange 27 is cut away, as shown at 39, to permit the forward offset portion 3% of the bolt to move back to retracted position. The leaf spring 35, which may be the same width as the bolt, may be mounted in position under the bolt and over flange 27 with one end of the spring inserted through a slit at 40 in flange 27, and bent forwardly, and the other end of the spring bent around the edge of flange 27 adjacent the cut-out 39 thereof, as shown at al. The flange 27 is also cut away for a suflicient distance under the bead 36 to perniit'the latter to spring downwardly, to ride under the bolt. I

The upper surface of the bolt is provided with a notch 42, and the top flange 23 of the cover is cut away for a distance, as shown at 43, above the bolt, to give access to the notch, to move the bolt back and forth by means of a nail, or the like. Holes la-t, d5 are provided through the top flanges 2%, 29 of the cover, and through the bolt, in alinement with hole 1% when the bolt is shot, for the passage of a sealing wire. 46, as explained in connection with "the form of devices described in connection with Figs. 1 to 41. of the drawings- Bolts are also provided at intermediate points along the sides of the cover, as shown 'in Figs. 8,9 and 10. Each such bolt 47 preferably takes the form of a thin flat plate having a rear stem-like extension '48, the bolt being adapted to be slid into position from the outside, through alined openings in the flanges 25 and 30 of the cover, and the side member 31. The stem a8 also extends through a suitable opening in flange 2S and into the board 22 of the cover, the rear edge of the body portion 4L7 abutting against flange 28 as a stop. Bolt 4-7 is provided with a suitably placed opening 49, and the top flanges 2%, 29 of the cover with an alined opening, 50, when the bolt is shot, through which, and the opening 51 111 the top flanges of the cover, a sealing wire 52 may be passed, as previously explained, the wire passing through the space between the outer depending flanges of the cover and the side member 31, as in the cases of the other forms of bolts described. A reinforcing metallic plate 53 may be secured on the outer face of side member 31, through which extends the opening for bolt 47.

Itwill'be understood'that my invention is not limited strictly to the exact details of construction described. In the claims, references toends and sides and the-like,

will be understood to be relative, sincethe ed to slide on the cover section against the inner vertical edge flanges of the ends and to extend through openings in the side sections and outer side vertical cover flanges in alinement therewith, flanged coverplates extending transversely across said bolts, havingupwardly extending shoulders at one ide and abutting against said inner vertical edge flanges at the other side, said bolts having side offset portions thereon adapted to slidably engage said shoulders and to abut against the inner vertical side flanges of the cover, to stop the bolts in shotv position.

2. In a container, the combination of vertical sections acover section havi ed e.

flanges bent to form an inverted U-shape thereabout, into which the upper edges of the vertical sections extend when the con-' tainer is assembled, flat horizontal bolts at points intermediate the corners of the cover section, mounted to slide on the upper surface of the cover section through alined openings in the inner and outer vertical edge flanges of the cover section, and the interposed side section, said bolts ha ving holes therethrough and shoulders on the rear portions thereofadapted to contact against the inner vertical edge flanges of the cover section when the bolts are shot, the top edge flanges of the cover section having'vertical holes therethrough, and sealing wires extending through said holes in the top flanges and the bolts and through the space between said outer cover flanges and said side sections. i

3. In a container, the combination of vertical sections, a cover section having edge flanges bent to form an inverted U-shape thereabout, into which the upper edges of the vertical sections extend when the container is assembled, horizontal bolts adjacent the corners of the cover section, mounted to slide on the cover alongside the inner vertical edge flanges of the ends and to extend through openings in the side sections and outer side vertical cover flanges in aline-v ment therewith, and cover plates, extending transyerely across said bolts and having 7 This specification signed and witnessed inner end flanges, said bolts having offset this 18th day of 111113 1918. portions positioned between said cover plate flanges and the inner Vertical side flanges ALEXANDER L. WARD. ofr thecover, to keep said bolts Within the I r coverplates and to stop them in shot posi- \Vitnesses:

tion, said. bolts having handle portions ex 1. LICINTOSH,

tending beyond said cover plate end flanges. DYEB SMITH.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,380,875, granted June 7, 1921, upon the application of Alexander L. Ward, of New York, N. Y. for an improve ment in Looking Devices for Collapsible Containers, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, strike out lines 17-19 and insert instead Patent Number 1,205,418, dated November 21, .1916, and my Patent Number 1,273,430, dated July 28, 1.918, and in both of which the cover; page 2, line 56, strike out the Word application; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform tothe record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 2d day of August, A. D., 1921.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. Cl. 217.56. 

